Notching-machine.



H. A. GREENE.

NOTGHING MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED A1 B.23, 1912.

1,105,074. Patented July 28, 1914 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VI'ITNESSES max? INVENTOR THE NORRIS PIYIIS CO" PHOYO-LITHO" WAIHINGION, D. C.

H. A. GREENE.

NOTGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1912.

1,105,074. Patented July 28, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wrmsssss Mal.

INVENTOR 5% Jaw THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTWLITHON WASHINGTON, D. C.

H. A. GREENE. NOTOHING, MACHINE. APPLIGA-TIOI FILED APR. 23, 1912.

1,1 05,074. Patented July 28, 1914.

6 EHEETBBHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO-, PHOm-LITHO" WASHINGTDN. D. L.

WITNESS H. A. GREENE.

NOTGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1912.

Patented July 28, 19M

5 SHBETSSHBET 4.

4 Mr/414a INVENTOR THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOID*LITH-. WASHINOYUN D. C.

HI AI NOTGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23,1912.

Patented July 28, 1914.-

5 8HEETSSHEET 6.

14M wfazo onrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD A. GREENE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

NoTcHING-MAoI-rmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed April 23, 1912. Serial No. 692,588.

particularly relates to the construction and arrangement of a machine for cutting, and dapping or notching the surfaces of wooden cross-ties for bridges, trestles and similar elevated structures.

One object of my invention is to provide a tie notching machine for clapping or cutting notches in cross-ties and like materials having novel means whereby the notches are located accurately in the ties and the depth to which the notches are cut is regulated and controlled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a notching machine having novel means whereby notches of varying depth are auto-- matically cut in difierent portions of a railway tie or similar materials.

A further object of this invention is to provide a notching -machine having improved means by which the materials to be cut are handled in moving the materials into and out of cutting position.

Still further objects, of the invention will appear as the invention is more fully dis closed hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification'Figurc 1 is a longitudinal side elevation showing a notching machine constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is a detail sectional elevation on an enlarged scale, showing the angularly adjustable side guide, whereby the depth to which the notches are cut is regulated and controlled. Fig. 5 is'a detail plan of a portion of the apparatus showing the side guide illustrated in Fig. 4c and'the mechanism employed in adjusting the side guide relative to the notch cutting gang-saw. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the side guide and also showing the gages or stops forming part of the apparatus. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional end elevation of the gage or stop mechanism and gage operating mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional elevation showing a modified form of construction for the arm for the gang-saw cutter. Fig. 9 is a detail elevation showing the saw carried for the gang-saw cutter used with the saw arm illustrated in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the saw carrier, the section being taken on the line XX of Fig. 9.

In. the drawings thesills 2 of the apparatus are provided with bearings 3 for the axles of the track wheels 4:, by which the apparatus is mounted on the track rails ofa standard gage railway. Cross members 5 secured to the sills by connecting angles 6' and having overhanging ends, are secured on the sills 2 at intervals in the length thereof.

Mounted on the ends of the cross members 5, along one side of the apparatus, are

supports 7 for the roller stands 8 on which the idler rollers 9 are rotatably mounted to form a roller feed table for supporting the ties when being notched and also to provide means whereby the ties are moved lengthwise into and out of position to be engaged by the saws.

Secured to the framework formed by the sills 2 and cross members 5 are vertically extending posts 10 formed of rolled metal angles and connected at their upper ends by an angle forming the strut 11. The top ends of the posts 10 are fastened to one end of the angles forming the diagonal braces 12 and 18, the other end of these braces being attached to the supporting frame mounted on the track wheels 1. Brackets 14 having bearings 15 thereon in which the shaft 16 is rotatably mounted, are provided on the upper end of the frame. Pivotally secured on the shaft 16, by one end, is a depending swinging saw arm or frame 17, on the lower end of which the saw shaft or arbor 18 for the cross cut saw 19 is mounted, and the shaft 16 is provided with a fast pulley 20 and loosevpulley 21 which are connected by the belt 22 to the driving pulley 23 on the shaft or saw arbor 18.

Adriven pulley 24 on the shaft 16 is connected by the belt 25 with the driving pulley 26 on the counter-shaft 27, mounted on the frame of the notching machine on the side thereof opposite the roller table. The counter-shaft 27 is mounted in bearings 28, 28, 28 secured to the frame 2 and has a driven pulley 29 which is connected by the belt 30 to the driving pulley 31, this pulley being keyed or otherwise secured on a driving motor by which the saws are actuated,

located on the motor supports 32 provided on the frame of the notching machine. The driving motor, (not shown) may be an elec 'tric motor, a gasolene engine, or any other approved type.

Pivotally mounted by one end to the counter-shaft 27 is a swinging saw arm or saw frame 33 having a saw arbor 34 rotatably mounted in bearings on its opposite end, the arm 33 also having bearings by which it is pivotally mounted on the counter-shaft 27. (See Fig. 2.) A fast pulley 35 and loose pulley 36 on the counter shaft 27 are connected by the belt 37 to the driving pulley 38 on the saw arbor 34. One end of the saw arbor 34 is overhung and is provided with a gaining cutter in the form of a gang saw cutter 39 which is made up of a series of circular saws placed side by side on the overhung end of the arbor 34 and is employed in cutting the notches in the ties or other materials.

The swinging saw arm 17 is connected to one end of a flexible connection 40 which passes around the sheave wheel 41 secured to one of the diagonal braces 13 and a counterweight 42 is provided on the other end of the flexible connection 40 to counterbalance the swinging arm 17 and saw 19 mounted thereon. This counterweight is made of suflicient size to move and normally hold the swinging arm in the extreme backward position into which it is swung, so as to be clear of the path of endwise movement of the materials being cut or notched. An operative can easily move the saw arm and saw in the opposite direction, in squaring the ends of the ties or timbers and in cutting the timbers to length with the cross-cut saw 19 mounted on the end of the arm 17. The swinging arm 33 also is coiuiterweighted, a flexible connection 43 fastened by one end to the arm 33 and passing around the sheave wheel 44, which is secured to the support 45, being connected by its opposite end to a counterweight 46, of such size or weight as to normally hold the gang-saw cutter in its extreme raised or lifted position. The counterweighted arm 33 is readily swung downwardly by an operative in bringing the gang-saw cutter 39 into operative engagement with ties or timbers on the rollers 9 in cutting the notches therein.

Mounted on the roller stand supports 7 are supports 47, 47, 47 for the shaft 48 on which are mounted theadjustable gages or stops 49, 50 and 5 1, which are provided to determine the length to which the ties are cut and the position of the notches relative'to each other and to the ends of the ties or timber being notched. The shaft 48, which is located to be axially in line with and abovethe table formed by the rollers 9, is arranged to rotate so as to successively swing the gages or stops 49, 50 and 51 into operative position. A sprocket wheel 52 which is mounted on one end of the shaft 51 is connected by the sprocket chain 53 to a similar sprocket wheel 54 on the end of the stop operating shaft 55, mounted in bearings 56 and 57 fixed to the frame of the notching machine, and the shaft 55 is provided on its opposite end with a ratchet lever 58 by which the operative moves the swinging stops 49, 50 and 51 into and out of position in the path of lengthwise movement of the ties or timbers on the table rollers 9. The stops 49, 50 and 51 are angularly disposed with respect to each other on the shaft 55, (as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 7,) so as to move one stop into operative position in moving another of the stops into inoperative position.

Angles 69 located on the frame in the rear of the saw 19 project upwardly above the plane of the tops of the rollers 9 and serve as additional gages to indicate the length of the materials in the cutting operations, the distance between these gages and saw 19 (and saw 39) being known to the operative.

Opposite the gang-saw cutter 39 on the opposite side of the roller table is an angularly adjustable guide 59, which is engaged by the side-of the ties or timbers during the sawing operations. This guide is formed of a rolled steel angle and is provided adjacent to its ends with swivel nuts 60. Guide supports 61 are secured by the bases 62 to the longitudinal supporting members 7 of the roller table, the guide being arranged to be moved on the supports 61 so as to be ad just-able toward. and away from the notching saw 39. Screw-threaded shafts 63, which are rotatably secured to the supports 61, engage with the swivel nuts 60 in order to move the guide 59 toward and away from the saw 39 and hold the guide in its adjusted position. Sprocket wheels 64 are provided on the outer end of the screwthreaded shafts 63 and a sprocket chain 65 mounted on the sprocket wheels 64 serves to cause the shafts to rotate in unison when turned by one or the other of the hand wheels 66, which are secured to the outer end of each of the shafts 63.

Adjacent to each end of the guide 59 is a measuring scale 67, which is graduated in inches and fractional parts of an inch, and in the middle of the length of the guide is a third scale 68 which is graduated in a similar manner. These scales are fixed to the supporting members 7 for the roller stands and the guide 59 moves with respect to the scales 67 and 68 in adjusting the guide.

When it is desired to out a series of notches I of equal depth at different points in the 130 length of a tie or timber the side guide 59 is adjusted to the same mark on each of the scales and when adjusted in this manner, when one or theother of the hand wheels 65 is turned the guide will be moved in a plane parallel to the axis of the shaft or arbor 34 for the gang-saw cutter 39.

' It is frequently necessary when dapping o-r notching ties for bridges, trestles and other parts of a railway track to make one notch of a different depth from that of an other or the other notches in the tie.

When my improved apparatus is being used for such purpose the thumb nut or screw 63 or one hand wheel 65 is unscrewed so as to disconnect one of the sprocket wheels 64 from its screw threaded shaft 63 and the other of the hand wheels 66 is then rotated so as to swing one end of the guide 59 about the axis of the swivel connection by which the guide is attached to the swivel nut 60 on the disconnected screw-threaded shaft 63. The extent of this angular movement will be noted on the graduated scales so that the desired difference in the depth of the notches at different points in the length of the ties is readily obtained. The sprocket wheel 64 is then again connected by means of the screw or nut 63 to the shaft 63 so that further movement of the guide 59 will move both ends of this guide the same distance. The guide 59 is then adjusted more or less, depending on the size of the ties being notched so that when the gang-saw 39 is brought into engagement with the different portions of the tie the notches will be of the desired depths. When the guide is adjusted in this manner the ties or timbers will be caused to move lengthwise in a path which is at an angle to the axis of the saw 39 so that one notch will vary in depth from that of another tie or timber.

The notching machine is made of such size as will facilitate its being loaded and transported from place to place in a freight car and the machine is provided with track wheels so that it can be placed "upon a track that is being constructed or upon a temporary track, and in this way permit the notching machine to be located, when being operated, at a point adjacent to the place in which the notched materials are to be used.

WVhen desired or preferred my improved apparatus is permanently erected within a box car78 and on account of the restricted space between the side walls '78 of the box car it will be found necessary to lessen the distance between the centers of the gangsaw and its driving pulley. In such case the saw arm construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 will be employed.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 8, the notching apparatus is mounted on the floor of the box car and the wheels 4 of the box car replace the track wheels 4 of the conand on the other end of this arm or frame 73 is a shaft 74 on which thepulleys 75 are mounted. Also secured by one end on the shaft 74 are arms 76 which are secured by their opposite ends to the shaft 27 for the driving pulley 36. A belt 77 is employed to connect the pulley 36 to one of the pulleys 75 and a second belt is used to connect one pulley 75 on the shaft 74'with the pulley 38* on the gang saw mandrel 34*.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 8 and 9 that the saw cutter 36 is caused .to travel in a vertical plane instead of swinging in the arc of a circle as in the preceding figures and that by reason of the knuckle joint formed by the frame 73 and arms 76 the required length for the driving belts to drive the saws can be obtained. The construction of the apparatus otherwise will be the same as has hereinbefore been described.

in the operation of my improved apparatus the requisite number of saws are placed on the saw arbor 34 to cut notches of. the required length. The teeth of these saws are set so that the effect of a broad cutting blade which is equal to the desired length of the notches is obtained. lVhen the notches at different points in the length of materials are of equal depth the guide 59 is set so as to have its tie engaging face extend in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saw arbor 34. The gages or stops 49, 50 and 51, which are adjustable lengthwise on the shaft 48 on which they are mounted are then adjusted, the stop 49 being set to cut one notch in the desired position in the length of the tie and the other stops being adjusted relative to the first stop so as to locate the notches in the desired position. In some cases the stop 51 may be used to determine the length into which multiple length materials are to be cut, in such event the other stops being adjusted in such manner as to locate the relative location of the notches. The guide 59 is then moved by means of one of the hand wheels 66 into position so as to cause the saw to be brought into engagement with the materials to cut notches of the desired depth, the position of this guide 59, relative to the saw 39 being determined by the diameter of the saw and thickness of the materials being notched. A. tie or timber is then placed on the table rollers 9 and is moved forwardly lengthwise thereon. If necessary, the end of the erative, by means of a hand lever 58, swings the stop 49 out of the path of forward movement of the tie on the roller table and brings the stop 50 into operative position. The tie is then moved forwardly until its end is in engagement with the stop 50 and the saw cutter is then again moved to out another notch in the tie. The hand lever is then again manipulated to move the stop 50 out of engagement with the tie, this movement bringing the stop 51 into its operative position. The tie is again moved until in engagement with the stop 51, when the saw cutter is again moved to out another notch in the timber being operated upon, or instead the saw 19 may be actuated to cut the tie to length, or both saws may be actuated so as to out another notch in the tie as well as cut the tie to length. The above de-v scribed operations are then repeated as is found necessary or desirable and the gages or stops and the guide are adjusted from time to time as has been described to meet the requirements of the particular material to be operated upon.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in tlie art. By constructing and operating notching machine, as has been hereinbefore described, the notching operations are quickly and accurately performed. The apparatus is simple and is easily kept in repair.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts can be made without departing from my invention. The

number of stops employed, the type of swinging saws that are used, and the construction and arrangement of the supporting framework may be modified within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. An apparatus for notching timbers comprising a work table along which the work may be advanced longitudinally, a gaining cutter at one side of the table and movable bodily across the position of the work on the table and also out of the path of the work, a work guide disposed longitudinally of the table opposite the gaining cutter, means for adjustably shifting the guide toward and away from the cutter, a series of work-engaging stops, and means to successively move said stops into and out of the path of the endwise movement of the work along the work table for gaging the positions of the notches to be cut by the gaining cutter, substantially as shown and described.

2. An apparatus for notching timbers comprising a work table along which the work may be advanced longitudinally, a gaining cutter at one side of the table and movable bodily across the position of the work on the table and also out of the path of the work, a work guide disposed longitudinally of the table opposite the gaining cutter, means to permit angular adjustment of the guide with respect to the work table, means for adjustably shifting the guide toward and away from the cutter, a series of work-engaging stops, and means to successively move said stops into and out of the path of the endwise movement of the work along the work table for gaging the positirns of the notches to be cut by the gaining cutter, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

. HOl/VARD A. GREENE.

lVitnesses:

T. J. MoCoY, C. T. GLACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

